Outstanding teachers recognized by San Joaquin A+

STOCKTON - Twelve teachers from throughout the county will be honored tonight by San Joaquin A+.

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By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By The Record
Posted May. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - Twelve teachers from throughout the county will be honored tonight by San Joaquin A+.

The "outstanding teachers for 2013" will be recognized at Stockton Golf and Country Club.

They are:

Becky Whitesides, Linden Elementary, Linden Unified: The 22-year teaching veteran, who also is a literacy coach, coordinates the California English Language Development Test for the district. She provides training for aides and teachers, sharing needed updates in curriculum and learning strategies.

Denise Runyan, East Union High School, Manteca Unified: In her seventh year at her school, Runyan teaches physical education, coaches cross country and was the Valley Oak League's Female Coach of the Year (2012). She is the advisor to the school's LINK Crew, a student group that greets incoming freshmen.

Richard Boyd, Sierra High School, Manteca Unified: A 21-year teacher, Boyd has transformed the school's physical education program. He brought a popular physical conditioning program to the school, exposing students to healthy workouts and nutrition.

John Wheeler, San Joaquin Elementary, Stockton Unified: As an eighth-grade math/science teacher, Wheeler finds uncommon ways to educate students. An example of his innovativeness: He has students learn the quadratic formula through musical verse.

Grant Billingslea, Edison High School, Stockton Unified: A 10th-year teacher focusing on career and technical education, Billingslea is tech savvy, creative and detail oriented. Billingslea is adept at infusing culturally relevant material into the curriculum.

Christine Bolthouse, Health Careers Academy, Stockton Unified: In a single year, Bolthouse wrote and earned approval for three courses in which her high school students could get college credits through San Joaquin Delta College. Bolthouse also started the school's Health Occupation Students of America Association club.

Monica Rabara, Walton Special Center, Stockton Unified: Working with students who have moderate to severe disabilities, Rabara was instrumental in the development and implementation of this year's Walton/Kohl Elementary inclusive preschool classroom. The Kohl students gained empathy through their relationships with the Walton students, who in turn have shown impressive developmental gains.

Jennifer Tiffany-Sawin, Central Elementary, Tracy Unified: Tiffany-Sawin's lessons to her fourth-graders are easy to follow and often include song, humor and motion. Many educators have observed her instructional strategies and have been impressed.

Karen Rogers, Julia Morgan Elementary, Lodi Unified: This isn't the first award this year for Rogers, who teaches K-6 music. She already has been named her school's Teacher of the Year. Her students performed with professionalism and confidence when the school recently held its first winter program.

Sonja Renhult, Tokay Colony Elementary, Lodi Unified: One of only seven teachers in her district to implement an iPad technology grant for her class, Renhult has opened her fifth- and sixth-grade students' eyes to the benefits of instant access to the Internet. She even creates some of her own instructional apps.

Terry Coburn, Brookside Elementary, Lincoln Unified: The seventh- and eighth-grade teacher, in his 24th year, is a master of transferring his love of history to students. Visitors to his classroom sometimes will see his students wearing self-created masks of the Founding Fathers or explaining the finer points of Jacksonian democracy while dressed in period clothing.

Sylvia Maffucci, Lincoln High School, Lincoln Unified: In her 27th year of teaching and her 11th at Lincoln High, Maffucci has embraced technology to the benefit of her chemistry students. Maffucci also has expanded Lincoln High's chemistry program through the years, and student interest in the program has swelled.